Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Categor
y
Poetry

Title

Author/Year

1. Death
Be not
Proud

John Donne
(1992)

2. Still I
Rise

Maya Angelou

Description
Summary: The Narrator questions death
and its power, considering the many forms
in which death doesnt just appear, but is
manipulated to take ones own or
anothers life. The author takes into
account his belief in an afterlife,
suggesting that after death, death itself
dies because man cannot die again in the
afterlife.
Connection: The poem draws into question
the power of the supernatural and
abstract.
Potential R/W: Students can analyze the
wording of the poem and language in
Donnes questioning of Death. They could
write their own poetry about abstract or
supernatural things.
Instruction: Students will discuss and
analyze the power of the abstract and
supernatural over mankind, debating
where power is stronger or weaker. Can
man control the abstract or is such power
an allusion? Students will write a poem or
essay describing the power (or lack
thereof) about an abstract noun of their
choosing.
Summary: The poem describes the pride of
an African American woman in the face of
prejudice and ridicule.
Connection: The poem discusses the use
of language to assert or fight the assertion
of power over an individual. The poem also
touches on bullying and standing up for
oneself in the face of abuse.
Potential R/W: Students can analyze

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

3. O Me! O
Life!

Walt Whitman
(1892)

4.
Redemptio
n

George
Herbert

5. First
Day at
School

Roger
McGough

diction and tone that created the proud

and powerful narrator speaking in the
poem. They can use this to create their
own Pride Poems where they describe
something about themselves they are
proud about and want to stand up for.
Summary: This poem questions mans
purpose and reason for life, recognizing
the futility of many things man pursues,
but proffers an answer that mans purpose
is to contribute the story and beauty of
life, if but a little.
Connection: The importance and impact
(power) man has in the world and his
ability to create.
Potential R/W: Students will write works
questioning the purpose of life,
highlighting power of mankind and offering
an answer to their work.
Summary: A poem metaphor about Christ
leaving heaven to redeem man and man
searching for him to gain redemption but
looking in all the wrong places.
Connection: The poem discusses
expectations of powerful people and
confusion when those perceptions are
broken. The poem as a metaphor also
touches on the power of language to say
one thing but also another at the same
time.
Potential R/W: This challenging text can
push students to challenge their inference
skills and analyze the complexity of
language, the variety of meanings a word
or phrase can hold, and the depth of
message language can relay to the reader.
Instruction: Students will decipher
metaphor and challenge themselves with a
master of poetry. They will create their
own metaphor poem describing an event
that may also contain deeper, perhaps
spiritual or moral importance.
Summary: A poem narrated by a small
child about going to school and
questioning the strange and foreboding
world he now finds himself in.

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Connection: The power of language to
implicitly reveal information about the
narrator without outright telling the reader.
The ability to describe a character through
tone and diction.
Potential R/W: Students will create a poem
or prose in which they must reveal general
age and gender of the narrator without
describing the narrator. The purpose of
this is to get students to put themselves in
the place of another individual and
consider the world through their
perspective (empathy).
I chose to expand on the section of poetry because poetry is a rich example of
creative language. Language in poetry can be powerful, relaying various messages,
emotions, and images in so few words. Due to their short nature, students are more
able and willing to reread a text, finding themselves with plenty of time to do so and
ending with deeper understanding of this unique genre. Also, poetry is commonly
easy to find and provide to students thanks to the internet, so teachers can always
depend on finding many possible sources of quick but rich texts for students to sink
their teeth into and analyze.
Short
1. The Most Richard
Summary: A man, stranded on an island,
Story
Dangerous Connell
finds himself in a life and death
Game
(1924?)
competition to escape the man hunting
him as game.
Connection: The story discusses power
dynamics in man vs man, man vs wild, and
eventually man vs self. The description
and narration also is powerful in creating
an enthralling fictional tale which makes
the reader pause and consider the
possibility of such conflicts of power in the
real world.
Potential R/W: Students analyze the power
struggle dynamics in the short story.
Instruction: Students will research and
write a fictional account of a historical
event, placing themselves in the story and
focusing on the play of power in the
narration.
2. The
Unlisted
Summary: A stone cutter becomes
Stone
(unlisted)
unhappy with his role in life and explores
Cutter
different power identities thanks to a
convenient magical quirk. During the
journey he comes to recognize how his
original role held power over things he

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Novel

3. The
Mongoose

The Brothers
Grimm (2010)

1. Queen of
the Toilet
Bowl

Frieda
Wishinsky
(2005)

once thought more powerful than himself.

Connection: Students questioning their
own power in the world and wondering if
they would prefer another role in life.
Potential R/W: Students discuss the
connection between each role of power
and how each role supported the next.
Instruction: Students will create a
Dominos Essay, where they tell a circular
story explaining the connection of one
powerful role to another (i.e. child-teacherprincipal-state-federal-presidentvoter/parents-child).
Summary: Three brothers take on the
challenge of a proud princess in an
ultimate version of hide and seek. The
youngest and sole survivor of the three
wins the competition and marries the
princess.
Connection: power dynamics for students
to discuss, such as abusive use of power,
intellectual power, physical power, and
power of magic/beliefs.
Potential R/W: Students write a fairytale
about power relationships, discussing
challenges opposing powers create in
attempts to maintain power over others.
Students debate the morals of the story.
Summary: A young immigrant girl wins the
role as star in her school play, but her
classmate is willing to do anything to take
the role for herself, until the protagonist
stands up against the bully.
Connection: students struggle with
bullying every day and this novel
discusses power between bully and victim.
It reveals the power of language to
manipulate or heal perceptions of others.
Potential R/W: This is an easier text for
struggling readers, but still challenges
students to consider the impact of
language to express ideas.
Instruction: This text highlights standing
up against negative power roles, seeking
helpful persons in power and finding the
power in oneself to stand up for whats

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Drama

2. The
Pearl

John
Steinbeck
(1992)

3.
Shizukos
Daughter

Kyoko Mori
(1994)

1.Escape to
Freedom

Ossie Davis
(1990)

right.
Summary: A man and woman trapped in
poverty suddenly discover a large pearl
that attracts the interest, attention, and
hostility of everyone around them.
Connection: The struggle of gaining and
maintaining power amidst other powers.
Potential R/W: Steinbeck reveals in his
short little novel the power of language to
reveal torment and heartbreaking
situations in life (especially regarding
poverty) through diction and story.
Instruction: Students will discuss the
influence power of wealth has on a person,
and whether some powers actually are
powers, or are simply allusions of power.
Summary: Yukis mother commits suicide
due to an unhappy marriage and no more
than a year later her father remarries his
secret mistress of eight years. Yuki and her
new stepmother struggle to have power
over one another using Yukis mother as
the chess piece, the stepmother
attempting to subdue and erase the
mother, Yuki attempting to revive and
amplify her absence.
Connection: The power struggle between
family that does not quite agree and
childrens attempts to hold on to memories
and traditions of missing loved ones. This
story emphasizes power dynamics in
culture and family.
Potential R/W: Students will read the novel
analyzing the authors use of language to
reveal power dynamics between
stepmother and daughter. Students will
write a short piece discussing a situation
of power they experienced in their own
homes.
Summary: A play about the life of Frederick
Douglass growing up as a slave and
striving to gain his freedom by becoming
educated.
Connection: The play discusses the power
of education on an individually, making

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

2. The
Complete
Works of
William
Shakespear
e
(abridged)
[revised]

Adam Long,
Daniel Singer,
Jess Winfield
(2001)

3. Tragedy
of Macbeth
[abridged]

William
Shakespeare
& Nashwan
Alhemyari

one an aware and influential person in the

world, not just a cog forcefully turned by
other forces.
Potential R/W: The play emphasizes that
reading and writing makes a man free.
That with such skills a man cannot be
bound unwillingly by other powers.
Instruction: Students will discuss how
reading and writing are powers, how they
can be used as tools in society, and where
they see language impacting their own
freedom.
Summary: Three actors attempt to share
their passion of William Shakespeare with
the audience by condensing all of
Shakespeares plays into one, but find
themselves perhaps poorly adequate.
Connection: The power of language to
convey a large concept, story, or idea in a
few short words and actions. The power of
adaptations and translations of changing
one text into another.
Potential R/W: Students can act out the
play, appreciating the stage directions and
language to create a humorous montage
of three (actually stupendous) actors
playing out Shakespeares plays.
Instruction: Students will discuss the
power of summarizing and adapting major
works into another format or creation.
Students will create adaptations of texts
discussed in the class so far, allowing
students to review important concepts and
information from the readings while
practicing and gaining mastery of using
language to communicate big ideas
successfully amongst peers.
Summary: Macbeth, a successful general
in the Scottish army, pursues a prophecy
promising him power, but also threatening
to take it away.
Connection: Students consider power
struggles in the text, how is power
misused to meet an end? What forces of
power still hold power over Macbeth
despite his success in fulfilling the

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

prophecy?
Potential R/W: Students analyze
Shakespeares use of language to express
action and character through speech and
conversations.
Childre
ns Lit

1.
Wangaris
Trees of
Peace

Jeanette
Winter (2008)

2. Horton
Hears a
Who

Dr. Seuss
(1982)

3. Yertle
the Turtle

Dr. Seuss
(2004)

Summary: Wangari returns to Kenya after

studying abroad and discovers her village
in poor condition due to deforestation. She
take the initiative to plant trees and
motivates other women in her village to
make the change too.
Connection: The power of influence on
person can make in changing many
peoples minds and actions.
Potential R/W: The story book is a quick
and easy ready, allowing students to focus
on the concept of power and how they can
motivate one another through their words
and actions to perform great good in their
community.
Summary: Horton the Elephant is the only
one who can hear the voices of the
miniscule people living on a clover.
Despite the ridicule he receives from
nonbelievers, he stands up for what he
believes, protecting those who cant
protect themselves.
Connection: Students and bullying.
Understanding the power one has to stand
up against a bully and protect those too
weak to protect themselves. Standing up
for ones friends in the face of adversity.
Potential R/W: Students consider Dr. Seuss
use of language to create an impactful and
creative tale about power and kindness.
Summary: Yertle the Turtle gets a taste for
power and bullies the other turtles into
submission, until he over reaches his
power limit and loses all his power in one
fell swoop.
Connection: The historical significance of
Yertle as Hitler allows students to see the
literal, fictional, and allegorical portrayal of
power.

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Non
Fiction

1. Eats,
Shoots &
Leaves

Lynne Truss
(2006)

2. The
Diary of a
Young Girl

Anne Frank
(1993)

Potential R/W: Students analyze how Seuss

has incorporated history into his text to
motivate readers against certain mindsets.
Instruction: Students create a fictional
retelling of a historical event to teach a
moral to their peers and readers.
Summary: Trusss journalistic novel
humorously brings to light the common
misuse of grammar and language in
todays society, emphasizing the proper
use of language (as though she were the
protector of grammar) and spiritedly
motivating the reader to take part in
correct grammar use and correction of
public grammar mistakes.
Connection: This work not only
emphasizes the power of grammar to
clearly and concisely communicate in the
world, but provides an example of the
power language holds to humorously and
successfully discuss with a reader a
usually boring subject.
Potential R/W: Students will analyze how
the author uses language to create tone
and voice in the work. Students will also
discuss the grammar rules defended in the
book and practice correct grammar usage.
Instruction: Students will create a
humorous rant about the proper use of a
writing technique or rule that they find
commonly misused by the world around
them.
Summary: The diary of Anne Frank, a Jew
hiding with her family and others during
the holocaust.
Connection: Annes diary is a great
nonfiction source for discussing the power
or language, and the use of power against
other persons.
Potential R/W: Anne was the age of many
middle school students, and her writing
ability reveals to students their own
possible abilities. Students can analyze her
use of language to describe life in hiding
and the struggles of being hated and
ostracized.

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Art

3. Power
Quotes

BrainyQuote.c
om

1. I Judge
you When
You Use
Poor
Grammar

Sharon Eliza
Nichols (2009)

2.
Freedom
Leads the
People

Eugene
Delacroix
(1813)

3. The

Francisco

Instruction: Students can use Annes diary

as an example of expectations in their own
bibliographies. The diary reveals the
importance of being clear, descriptive, and
powerful with language in describing
reality so that readers can understand the
unimaginable histories often overlooked or
lost.
This site contains quotes about power by
celebrities, authors, and historical figures.
Students will discuss the application of
quotes from this cite to literature,
language, or their own lives. Theyll create
their own Quotes of Power.
Summary: This book is a collection of
pictures about real life misuses of
grammar and language.
Connection: Students can see how misuse
of grammar still occurs outside of school
and the importance for them that they
master language so that they might
converse clearly and without error to those
around them.
Potential R/W: Students can take examples
of incorrect language and correct them,
discussing and explaining how the edit
clarifies the writers intent.
Summary: This painting reveals French
freedom in the form of Lady Liberty
leading French citizens into brutal battle.
Connection: The image draws to question
the influence (power) images have in
motivating one to action.
Potential R/W: Students consider what is
and is not revealed in the painting. How is
what is unsaid important in fully
understanding the painters intentions.
Instruction: Students can write an analysis
about the painting, discussing what the
painting evokes in them and why they
believe the painting awakens such a
reaction. They could write from the
perspective of individuals in the painting,
revealing the thoughts unspoken yet still
translated to the viewer by the characters.
Summary: The Painting by Goya reveals

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Shootings
Goya (1808)
of May
Third 1808

Media/
CE

1. How to
Understand
Power

Eric Lui (nov

4, 2014)
TEDed Talks
[YouTube]

the execution of rebellious citizens at the

hands of a military firing squad.
Connection: Struggles between weak and
powerful continue to wrack the world.
Students can connect the image with
images on the news about conflicts
happening around the world.
Potential R/W: The painting suggests the
importance of reading and writing with
perspective. The painting emphasizes the
perspective of the frightened citizens, but
fails to hint at the bloody rebellion just
hours before.
Instruction: Students can discuss how
language has the power to paint one side
as a victim and the other as a predator.
The impact of language on the reader can
motivate the reader to a certain stand in
an argument, even if the reader does not
have all the information needed to make
such a choice.
Summary: This short lecture discusses
power and how it appears in todays world.
It breaks down where power comes from,
how it manifests itself, and how to use it. It
discusses the types of power, focusing on
civic power.
Connection: This clip directly discusses
power and its role in society. Students will
learn how power is playing out in todays
world and how they can use or navigate
the use of power.
Potential R/W: The clip discusses how to
read power, not just in texts, but in people
and situations utilizing reading skills to
better understand power in play. The clip
also discusses writing power, a persons
ability to make a change by purposeful use
of language to change peoples minds and
reform power structures.
Instruction: This video is a great
introduction to power and writing/reading.
The clip discusses the importance for
students to understand and use language
as a power tool for changing the world
around them for the better.

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

2. Word
Crimes

Weird Al
Yankovic (July
15, 2014)
alyankovicVEV
O [YouTube]

3. Our
Husa Bat
Words Have
a Big
Impact

Summary: Taking the tune of a popular pop

song, Weird Al Yankovic creates the song
Word Crimes mocking misuse of
grammar.
Connection: Students see a prime example
of language used in a way to make a
commonly boring topic into something
catchy and funny. Students also receive a
remedial lesson on the importance of
proper grammar and how grammar is a
powerful way to relay specific, detailed,
and clear messages between individuals.
Potential R/W: The video explains several
common grammatical mistakes which
students may review and recognize in
examples of writing. Students also could
use this as an exemplar of creating a
music video about a writing
style/technique, providing examples of
proper use, how it is commonly misused,
and definitions.
Instruction: Text reformulation/response,
have students create a humorous/satirical
response to commonly misused grammar
rules, vocabulary words, or misspellings
found outside of the class (probably from
facebook, twitter, advertisements, or
newspaper articles).
Summary: A commercial about a young
girl intrigued by science is discouraged in
this traditionally unfeminine pursuit and is
conditioned to pursue girly interests rather
than science.
Connection: The commercial emphasizes
the power of subtle messages and how
language can be used to condition growing
minds to pursue or rebuff certain interests.
Potential R/W: Students can use this text
as an example to make them more aware
of subliminal messages in media, society,
every day conversations. By recognizing
how choice of words and tone affect the
receiver, students can begin analyzing
texts in a class room for possible
subliminal messages.
Instruction: Students can use this clip as a

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

4. Power
of Social
Media

InfoCare SMM
(June 30,
2011)
[YouTube]

5. Dead
Poets
Society

Godfried
IJsseling
(December
16, 2012)
[Youtube]

springboard in considering situations,

stereotypes, or cultural habits that subtly
influence a person to act a specific way or
believe a certain thing. Students can
reflect on what was said in the video and
how specifically those comments
influenced the girl to give up science.
What examples do they see of this use of
language in their own lives? (school,
home, gender, religion, etc.)
Summary: This video clip provides
statistics about the impact of social media
in todays society and how businesses
successfully utilize social media to gain
customers and boost business.
Connection: Students receive an
informational clip discussing how language
is being used today to persuade and
dissuade consumers to partake of this
tightly connected society.
Potential R/W: Students can visit some
business facebook pages or twitter
accounts and find examples of powerful
use of language to motivate a consumer.
They can discuss what was successful in a
businesses use of language and what was
unsuccessful.
Summary: A professor at a private boys
academy discusses with his students the
importance of poetry (language mastery)
in their lives, hoping to convince them that
language is important to them no matter
what profession they choose.
Connection: The clip touches on the power
of language to connect human being to
one another, to inspire each other and
create beauty, which is that which we do
all things to maintain.
Potential R/W: This clip teaches students
the impact language has in unlocking their
own understanding and connection with
the world and humanity. It emphasizes the
importance of literature to humans lives
and (I hope) why we should read and
write.
Instruction: Students will partake in writing

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

a poem about something that is very
important to them, themselves and their
identity in the world. The importance of
this assignment is not to master a poem
technique or style, but to communicate
genuinely with their peers about life and
their part in it.
I targeted media for several reasons. Firstly, media (especially YouTube) is easily
accessible to anyone allowing for easy access and variety in the classroom.
Secondly, students enjoy watching video clips and listening to music. The presence
of either rejuvenates their minds through its higher correlation with their everyday
lives. Thirdly, media is one of the most popular forms of language used in todays
world, and I believe students should recognize the impact of language in each of
these. How language is used in speech, lectures, movies, songs, and commercials is
important, because mastery of language in these fields will allow the student to
recognize subtle messages and make alert and critical assessments of those
messages.
Cited Work
Poetry
McGough, R. (n.d.). First day at school. Retrieved November 11,
2014, from
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/roger_mcgough/poems/1795.
html
Donne, J. (n.d.). Holy sonnets: death, be not proud. Retrieved
November 11, 2014, from
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173363
Angelou, M. (n.d.). Still I rise. Retrieved November 9, 2014, from
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/maya_angelou/poems/482
Whitman, W. (n.d.). O me! O life! Retrieved November 10, 2014, from
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/182088
Rudrum, A. & Black, J. &Nelson, H. F. (2000). Redemption. In The
Broadview anthology of seventeenth-century verse & prose (pp. 363).
Canada: Broadview Press.
Short Story
Connell, R. (n.d.). The most dangerous game. In Fiction: The EServer
Collection. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from
http://fiction.eserver.org/short/the_most_dangerous_game.html

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

The stone cutter. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2014, from
http://www.kidsgen.com/short_stories/stone_cutter.htm
Grimm. (2010). The Mongoose. In Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales (pp.
607-609). San Diego, CA: Canterbury Classics.
Novel
Wishinsky, F. (2005). Queen of the toilet bowl. Victoria, Canada: Orca
Book.
Steinbeck, J. (1992). The pearl. New York: Penguin Books.
Mori, K. (1993). Shizukos daughter. Canada: Ballantine.
Drama
Davis, O. (1990). Escape to freedom: A play about young Frederick
Douglass. New York: Puffin Books.
Long, A. & Singer, D. & Winfield, J. (2001) The complete works of
William Shakespeare (abridged0 [revised]. Applause New York: Theatre
& Cinema Books.
Shakespeare, W., & Alhemyari, N. (2014, April 10). A simplified and
concise version of Shakespeare's play macbeth. Retrieved November
11, 2014, from
https://www.academia.edu/6555385/A_Simplified_and_Concise_Version
_of_Shakespeares_Play_Macbeth?login=&email_was_taken=true
Childrens Lit
Winter, J. (2008). Wangari's trees of peace: A true story from Africa.
Orlando Fla.: Harcourt.
Geisel, T. S. (1982). Horton hears a who. New York: Random House.
Geisel, T. S. (2004). Yertle the turtle. In Your favorite Seuss (pp. 191207). New York: Random House.
Non Fiction
Truss, L. (2006) Eats, shoots &leaves. New York: Gotham.
Frank, A. (1993). The diary of a young girl. New York: Bantam Books.
Power quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2014, from
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_power.html
Art

Knowledge Menu Part 3: Power of Language

Nichols, S. E. (2009). I judge you when you use poor grammar: a
collection of egregious errors, disconcerting bloopers, and other
linguistic slip-ups. New York: St. Martins Griffin.
Clark, K. (n.d.). GOYA, Francisco: The shootings of May third 1808.
Retrieved November 11, 2014, from
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/goya/may_3rd.jpg.html
Arts and Facts: Episode 17: War and Peace. (n.d.). Retrieved November
10, 2014, from http://artsandfacts.blogspot.com/2012/02/episode-17war-and-peace.html
Media/CE
Liu, E. (2014, November 4). How to understand power. Retrieved
November 11, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=c_Eutci7ack&index=8&list=PL8J7SGMkKQG3mNoP8iUutsfsQp1A7U2z
Yankovic, A. (2014, July 15). "Weird Al" Yankovic - word crimes.
Retrieved November 11, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=8Gv0H-vPoDc&index=10&list=PL8J7SGMkKQG3mNoP8iUutsfsQp1A7U2z
Bat, H. (2014, August 27). Our words can have a big impact. Retrieved
November 11, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5357twehI&index=12&list=PL-8J7SGMkKQG3mNoP8iUutsfsQp1A7U2z
InfoCare SMM. (2011, June 30). Power of social media. Retrieved
November 11, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HOqRjNXxXBA&index=11&list=PL8J7SGMkKQG3mNoP8iUutsfsQp1A7U2z
IJsseling, G. (2012, December 16). Dead poets society. Retrieved
November 11, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omveFR2hmg&list=PL-8J7SGMkKQG3mNoP8iUutsfsQp1A7U2z&index=13